


Linguistics

by jellybeanforest



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cap-Ironman Bingo, Don't Speak the Language, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Slash, Unspoken understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 17:06:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21285167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellybeanforest/pseuds/jellybeanforest
Summary: It takes a while for Steve to understand what he has dubbed Ton-ese.For the Cap-IronMan Bingo 2019 Round 2 – Don’t Speak the Language.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 205
Collections: Captain America/Iron Man Bingo





	Linguistics

It takes a while for Steve to understand what he has dubbed Ton-ese.

“Well, if he could do that, he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet,” Banner points out.

Tony is moderately impressed as he greets the other scientist. “Finally, someone who speaks English.”

“Is that what just happened?” Steve asks Agent Hill, only half-sarcastically. It has been seventy years, but linguistic drift doesn’t work quite that fast. Granted, he doesn’t get out much, but Steve has been defrosted for a little over a month without any major language comprehension issues. Until now.

When the others appear just as perplexed, he realizes Tony is the problem.

As usual.

And the man can’t seem to turn it off.

Tony’s life is on the line – he will literally be shredded to bits if Steve gets this wrong – yet he still can’t make himself comprehensible to the average layman. “Stay in the control unit and reverse polarity long enough to disengage mag–”

“Speak English!” Steve yells over the comm.

Tony pauses, his breath a light crinkling on the line, then: “See the red lever? Stand by it, wait for my word.”

_Was that so hard?_

* * *

Ton-ese is half-English, half-science, and all context, history and body language. It’s not that Steve is stupid, far from it, but the thing about Tony is that while he can talk fast, he thinks faster, and he often can’t get it all out in time before he’s moved on to the next great concept, his next big idea, so it can be difficult to keep up, but once Steve understands, a lot can be passed with few words.

They’re lounging around Avengers Tower when Clint hogs the remote, forcing them to watch _Robin Hood, Men in Tights._

Tony could summon Jarvis to change the channel, but that would be cheating, and Tony has always been a man of principles.

“Give me the remote, Barton,” he orders.

Clint refuses. “No. You’re just going to channel surf for the next twenty minutes anyway, and that’s going to drive everyone nuts.”

“Who wants to watch a Robin Hood movie that doesn’t star Errol Flynn?” Steve remarks. As far as Steve is concerned, Flynn’s Robin Hood is the definitive version. Accept no substitutions.

“I hate to agree with the living fossil here, but I would go one further and say no one wants to watch a movie about a guy in tights slinging arrows. There are so many anachronisms in this adaptation anyway; I don’t know why they even kept the whole archery bit,” Tony says, staring directly at Clint. “What kind of backwards weapon is a bow-and-arrow anyway?”

Clint narrows his eyes. “You shut your goddamn trash mouth, Stark, or I swear to God–”

Tony lunges for the remote, and Clint holds it up high, stretching further to keep it out of the other man’s reach.

“Hey Cap, remember Andy Welles from MIT?”

Steve looks at Tony – the manic glint in his eye, his body set in pre-pounce, fingers already crooked into claws – and sighs. “Clint, I would suggest you give Tony the remote. He has no respect for the Geneva Convention, no matter how petty the conflict.”

“Why? Who’s Andy–” Clint abruptly cuts off when Tony dives towards his outstretched arms, aiming for the pits and attacking with feather light touches while he locks his thighs around Clint’s torso to stay atop him. Clint giggles and tries to twist his body to buck the man off to no avail, while Steve reaches over and plucks the remote from his flailing limbs. Once his prize is secure, Tony ceases his shameless assault.

“That’s why,” Steve deadpans, tossing the remote to Tony, who settles in to surf through the 841 available channels.

“I hate you so much,” Clint grumbles, pushing himself up from his prone position.

* * *

They’re in the lower labs, Tony tinkering with Iron Man’s weapons systems and Steve pretending to read his book when Tony says, apropos of nothing, “You like mini quiches?”

“Hm?”

“Caviar and crème fraiche tartlets. Jumbo shrimp. Bite-sized crab cakes,” Tony lists off. “I know champagne does nothing for you, but maybe it tastes like bitter soda.”

When Steve doesn’t respond, Tony clarifies, “I throw this annual shindig for the Maria Stark Foundation. Charity, you know, and I was thinking… that is… um–”

“You want me to go as your date?” Steve finishes, not wanting to force Tony to suffer through his fumbling request.

“Well, it doesn’t have to–”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” Tony sounds surprised.

Steve hums, turning a page of his book. “Army dress uniform okay?”

“Of course,” Tony massages the nape of his neck. “Just so you know, I don’t put out on the first date,” he jokes.

Steve lifts an eyebrow at that, giving the other man an obvious once-over, drinking in the nervous set of his shoulders, the small smile and eyes bright with excitement. “That’s a shame.”

“…But I could make an exception.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tony totally puts out before the first date.


End file.
